Political Tactics or Immediate Policy
A round table conference, an interim government and election to a Constituent Assembly are the minimum political tactics proposed by the Party in this context. Only a new constitution made by a Constituent Assembly can in reality institutionalise the sovereign rights of the Nepalese people. There can be no reason for anybody to disagree with this supreme modality of democracy to let the Nepalese people determine their own destiny and future.

On the basis of this flexible tactical line the Party entered into negotiations with the old regime twice. However, both the times it was proved that the old regime was not in favour of a political solution but was in the path of conspiracy and regression. Rejection of the supreme democratic method of Constituent Assembly to make a new constitution by the old regime merely proves that it does not rely on the people but on armaments, army and terror.

In this context, the Party once again reasserts its commitment to the following minimum policies and programmes:

- The Party still maintains the proposal of round table conference, an interim government and election to a Constituent Assembly to make a new constitution as its immediate minimum political proposal for a forward-looking political solution to the present crises in the country.

- The Party wants to institutionalise a republican form of state through the Constituent Assembly and believes that in a free and fair election the mandate of the Nepalese people would be in favour of a republic.

- In the given context of the existence of two ideologies, two armies and two states in the country, the Party is agreeable to demobilization of both the armies and carrying out of elections to the Constituent Assembly under the supervision of United Nations organisation and international human rights organisations.

- The content of the new constitution would be:

(a) Political

Full sovereignty to the people; secular state; elected house of representatives as the highest representative body of the people; reorganisation of a unified national army; provision of national and regional autonomy along with rights of self-determination; provision of
constitutional changes or refinement according to the wishes of the people; guarantee of multi-party competition, periodic elections, adult franchise, rule of law and fundamental rights including freedom of speech and press; provision of special rights for women and dalits (i.e. oppressed caste); etc.

(b) Economic

Revolutionary land reforms for judicious redistribution of land on the principle of 'land to the tiller'; self-reliant and national industrial policy; promotion and development of national capital; formulation of an integrated national policy for proper utilization of natural resources; etc.

(c) Social

Development of a mechanism for strict punishment to the corrupt, smugglers and profiteers; development of employment-oriented national and scientific education system; universal health service; provision of state care for the destitutes, the elderly and the children; end to all forms of exploitation, discrimination and dishonour to women and dalits; guarantee of minimum wages and worker's participation in industrial management; guarantee of
intellectual & academic freedom and professional rights; promotion of democratic and scientific culture in place of feudal and imperialist reactionary culture; plan of integrated national infrastructure development; guarantee of full employment to all; fulfillment of demands of class and mass organisations; etc.

(d) Foreign Policy

- Independent foreign policy of maintaining friendly relations with all on the basis of Panchasheel (i.e. five principles of peaceful coexistence) and non-alignment.

- Abrogation of all unequal treaties from the past and conclusion of new treaties and agreements on a new basis.

- Promotion of good neighbourly relations with neighbouring India and China with mutual cooperation in the fields of utilization of natural resources, trade and transit, etc. for mutual benefit, keeping in view the particularity of economic, political, cultural, historical and geographical relations with them.

January 12, 2004
Author: Prachanda Chairman, C.P.N (Maoist)